Abstract
Since its inauguration in 1888, the Rathgen Research Laboratory of the National Museums in Berlin has been challenged by authenticity questions on cultural heritage objects. In the setting of an ever-growing market, often intertwined with the increasing global impact of illicit traffic, scientific investigations can contribute equally to art-historical, or archaeological expertise when solving questions of authenticity, and should therefore always be included when significant values are at stake. Looted or stolen artifacts, copies, fakes, and forgeries have been an intrinsic element of the market since ever, and only selectively addressed in a trans-disciplinary, more holistic way. This paper makes the case for a reliable, state-of-the-art analysis and illustrates the potential benefits of such a scientific approach to authenticity questions in selected examples: 1. the case of German art forger, Wolfgang Beltracchi; 2. brass objects of alleged Benin and Ife provenance.
Highlights
Over the past 150 years, the rapid progress of archaeological and historic sciences, in combination with increased mobility and logistics, significantly facilitated the growing transfer of cultural artifacts from so-called source countries into market countries, mainlyEurope and the United States
In the setting of an ever-growing market, deeply intertwined with the increasing global impact of illicit trafficking, scientific investigations may contribute to other professional expertise for solving questions related to the authenticity of cultural artifacts
They should, always be of illicit trafficking, investigations may other professional solving questions related to the authenticity ofcontribute culturalvalues artifacts
Summary
This transfer soon emerged as what is discussed nowadays as illicit traffic (Yates 2016; Brodie and Renfrew 2005). The transport of works of art across state boundaries is much easier than the transfer of money (Guillotreau 1999). Several UN Security Council Resolutions (e.g., 1483/2003, 2199/2015, 2347/2017) and EU Council Regulations (e.g., 1332/2013, 1210/2003) have been dedicated to the struggle with illicit traffic, especially in the MENA region, Syria, and Iraq. Forgeries, and fakes are another characteristic element of this market, one could consider it the other side of the same coin, ranging from antiquities to 21st century art
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